Thomas Edison Charter Academy

Update 4÷15÷13: Yep, still very happy here — our son has learned to read in English and Spanish. Only kids leaving the program are the ones who are moving.
Prior comments still stand:
We enrolled our son in the dual-​immersion Spanish-​English program for Kindergarten this year, and have been very happy so far.
The school boasts a full-​time arts program, caring teachers, a renovated building, on-​site After School, better food than SFUSD & no-​added-​sugar-​for-​sale policy, a new computer lab, a thriving 3-​year old Spanish-​English dual-​immersion option in the lower grades (will grow every year until 4^th grade I believe), rapidly rising parent participation & fundraising (but never enough). There are uniforms, a fairly traditional discipline policy of rewards for good behavior & consequences for bad behavior (which is exactly what our son needs), and even before-​school yoga — which our son loves.
There’s an invigorated Parent-​Teacher Committee — I spent 1 hour yesterday sorting TECA t-​shirts with other parents, and another 30 minutes writing thank-​you notes on Teacher Appreciation gift certificates with yet another group of parents (the teachers loved their little gifts!) Meanwhile, Spanish-​speaking parents were helping out in the classrooms, testing kids on their Spanish so the teachers can provide individualized instruction to every student. Yes, the school has warts — I did mention not enough $, and test scores could be higher (but don’t get me started on how test scores are NOT an accurate measure of a school’s performance, especially when viewed on their own).
Bottom line: the teachers are caring people who believe in the mission to nurture «the whole child» and help the kids prepare for top high schools (3 admitted to Lowell last year– huge for our size/​7 admitted this year — that’s unheard of!); & over $ 160k in scholarships were granted to other top schools. The administrators listen to good ideas, the arts program is unmatched, and parent participation is way up.
Good things are happening here!

The bottom line is that the school experience is what you (as parents) and your child make of it. In ²⁰¹⁰⁄₂₀₁₁ our niece came to live with us and we needed a school for her 8^th grade year. We heard about Edison Charter Academy from a friend and parent who had 2 children in the school. After meeting with the principal we decided ECA would be it. ECA went beyond our expectations and was a great match for our niece at a crucial time in her life. The teachers care deeply about the students and take time to be present with them. We also had an involved group of parents. All this made a difference! In her one year here, our niece grew confident, was challenged by and experienced academic success, and was guided and inspired to make positive choices in her life. Also, one of the perks is that the school is situated in between the Mission District and Noe Valley, which brings together a rich diversity of culture and class.
Yes, ECA has gone though transitions and like all schools it has quirks, but our year at this school was amazing for us as a family and life changing for our niece. If you want a school with a whole lot of heart and soul, this is one of them… consider it!